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In the whole of the Marvel universe, there are few characters as unique as Pietro Maximoff, known as Quicksilver.  Quicksilver has walked the line between heroism and villainy many a time, even starting his career as one of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants under his father, Magneto.  While super speed hardly shows any originality when it comes to super powers, Quicksilver tends to be the fastest of them.  His ego, on the other hand, might as well be a secondary mutation.  Quicksilver’s ego and outright contempt for most other beings on the planet garner him a reputation that he seems to hold on to diligently.  The belief that he and a select few others are truly superior to others have brought him to the lowest point of his entire life, sitting powerless in a jail cell in New York City, talking to his ghosts.

X-Factor, the Quick and the Dead, spotlights Quicksilver’s madness and climb back up the steps of sanity.  Assaulted by the ghosts of his past in the forms of his father, his sister (Wanda, the Scarlet Witch), his ex-wife Crystal and their daughter Luna, to the person who caused him to end up in jail, Layla Miller, Quicksilver forces himself to claw at the darkness and madness and shame that he feels eating away at his soul. Forced to confront himself in this manner, Quicksilver finds transformative power when he realizes that in his heart he still wants to do the right thing.

Can I just say: What the hell?

Quicksilver’s planet size ego has caused massive problems on many occasions, but ever since the end of House of M, where we learn it was his manipulations of Wanda that caused the event, Quicksilver has descended down the road of madness and super villainy in the guise of ‘I know best.’ He furthered his own goals by stealing the Terrigen crystals and his daughter from the Inhumans and pursued a path of trying to be the new mutant savior, returning mutants their powers at a terrible price.  Honestly, nothing has ever seemed redeemable about Quicksilver.  He was more or less a hero because it is what his sister wanted and it put him in opposition to his father, when he was not honoring him, most of the time.  It was the ‘socially correct’ thing to do and honestly seemed to bore him. The path to ruination seemed quite the correct one.  This eleventh hour salvation of him seems like a cheap cop out. 

Peter David’s writing style usually elicits ire or awe from the fan base.  I tend to enjoy his stories and while this one holds up to his standards, I find the leap of faith in it to be a bit much.  Pietro going from thinking he is a god to believing in the salvation from God so quickly leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  The ghosts and Quicksilver’s parlay feels genuine to me and feels like the conversations Quicksilver would have with himself, however the conclusions that are drawn and the point that Peter David takes him to just does not ring true to me.

Pablo Raimondi’s art mixed with Jeromy Cox’s coloring makes for a visually impactful book.  The art shows a layer of detail and skill without being overly flashy.  I really love the subtle emotional traces in the faces he draws. Jeromy handles the coloring wonderfully. The look of the jail cell feels dirty and dingy, while the outside shows light and brightness in varying degrees depending on the time of day and location, giving the book a sense of life.  These two work well together.

X-Factor, The Quick and The Dead, will probably not go down as one of my favorite Peter David stories.  The kicker comes for those who follow X-Factor: if you do not read it, you are missing something that will most likely be prevalent in a future issue of X-Factor.  I do not see why this could not have just been an interlude issue rather than a one shot special.  It is worth a read, if only to see how Quicksilver comes by his new sunny disposition at the end. 

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